Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of geothermal energy and/or minerals from subterranean high temperature, high salinity water reservoirs.
High temperature, high salinity subterranean brine reservoirs, such as are located in the Imperial Valley of California, provide an important source of geothermal energy and/or minerals. Wells drilled in this area show that reservoirs at 6000 feet depth contain brines with up to 250,000 ppm salts content and 600.degree. F. temperature. The various soluble salts contained in these brines include sodium and potassium chloride, calcium, iron and magnesium salts. Also, other materials such as silica and ferrous compounds are often present in in the brines. Attempts to produce brine from these reservoirs for recovery of geothermal energy and minerals have been defeated by salt drop-out in the well bore, which occurs with reduction of pressure and temperature as the brines rise to the surface, rapidly plugging wells and surface equipment.
The present invention overcomes the problem of salt drop-out and permits recovery of energy and minerals from the geothermal brines.